DoorDash Revives an ’80s Hip-Hop Hit to Celebrate the NBA

After four years of sponsoring the NBA and WNBA, DoorDash kicked off the 2024-2025 season by celebrating the sport with the help of a hip-hop legend.

Hip-hop artist Kurtis Blow released “Basketball” in 1984, rapping about the sport’s biggest stars and its cultural impact in a video featuring cheerleaders, nunchuck fights, and neon graphics.

In a film from DoorDash’s in-house creative studio Superette and producer Hit-Boy, Blow sings some of his original lyrics along with new lines about basketball players LeBron James and Luka Dončić, and ordering food while he watches the game.

The spot kicks off with New York Knicks players Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart ordering a basketball from DoorDash’s membership program, DashPass. Blow arrives on a basketball court accompanied by a crew of dancers and backup singers. Brooklyn rapper Lola Brooke joins in for a verse focused on the WNBA, while Seattle Storm player Sue Bird also hits the court.

“The reimagined video celebrates basketball’s evolution and its roots in hip-hop, while also bridging the original song’s spirit with today’s game,” DoorDash managing director Eli Velez told ADWEEK. “With DashPass as your door to all things basketball, this project felt like an authentic way to connect with true fans.”

DoorDash has activated its NBA and WNBA sponsorships with branded creative, custom merchandise, and on-site activations. This season, the delivery service will be giving DashPass members a $5 discount on an order placed the day after a player scores 50 points in a game. Subscribers will also have access to special lounges and meet-and-greets.

“The NBA and WNBA have been phenomenal partners to us since day one, and the experiences we’ve been able to build for basketball fans is a true testament to that partnership,” Velez said. “Our partnership has set the foundation for how we bring unique content — like this music video — and experiences to basketball fans while providing even more value to DashPass members.”